Cycling editorial makes unfair comparison and other letters to the editors

Cycling editorial makes unfair comparison and other letters to the editors

June 15th, 2014 in Opinion Letters

Cycling editorial makes unfair comparison

A promising young cycling champion recovers in a hospital bed here, and to use his crash during competition (which has nothing to do with recreational cyclists going up the mountain) as an opportunity to jump back on your pet peeve ("Stop the cycle," Times, 5-31) is nothing short of disgraceful. You talk about safety, but I suspect the real issue is that you've had to slow down a few times behind some riders on your way home.

But if safety is such a concern, let's ban tractor-trailers, because they also go too slow uphill and they wreck and kill people all the time. And while we are at it, lets get rid of trains, because sometimes people are in a hurry and try to beat the train at the crossing and die. And let's not allow school buses either; they are an awful inconvenience when we have to stop behind them as they let off their young passengers (who occasionally are struck and, sadly, lose their lives). Let's see - pedestrians need to go away as well; they make us stop when they cross the road, and recently a few of them died when we could not slow down in time.

R.J. CLAPP, Ooltewah

Draft logic doesn't fly

Here we go again, someone thinks the government needs to get involved. In regards to Mr Sutton's comment regarding a military draft, just think of MASH 4077 - where the characters consumed alcohol while on duty overseas in a war zone. Sorry, I don't want my son or daughter serving with those kind of clowns. If ever you feel there should be a forced service in our armed forces - a draft - please try to imagine yourself in the service as a chief petty officer or gunnery sergeant, E-7. You have a 20-man division/company of anywhere between 19-year-olds and mid-30-year-olds. Some are trying to make a career out of the service while others are just waiting their time to finish off their draft. Guess who gets most of the attention? You guessed right if you answered the draftees. They will be the squeaky wheel always needing grease. The careerists will have to take a back seat while the CPO/gunny tends to the grease.

JOHN LOPEZ, Ooltewah

Angelou death deserved better coverage

I was both surprised and disappointed that it was not on the front page of our stellar newspaper that I read of the death of Maya Angelou. The article noting the loss of this talented and remarkable woman, poet, author and true American icon was relegated to Page 4. Stories concerned with sexual battery, murder, spying and Cialis OTC took editorial precedence on Page One on May 29. In my opinion, news of the death and loss of this exceptional American writer and citizen, who spoke in our city several times, deserved a place on the front page of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

BARBARA P. SEALS

Share the road, it's the law

Your editorial on why cyclists should stay off the W Road and other local mountain climbs was symptomatic of why there are accidents in the first place. Disregarding the inane and illogical, apples-to-oranges comparison of Tyler Phinney's crash during the National Cycling Championship to the safety of local riders, the editorial perpetuates a "you don't belong here" attitude that, frankly, continues to endanger cyclists daily. When you assume that cars and trucks receive the legal stamp of approval but cyclists are second-class citizens not deserving of your patience and courtesy, you give tacit approval to treat them as such.

JEAN PAUL VAUDREUIL, Ooltewah

What was Obama thinking?

I have, until now, voted Democrat on the national ticket, but I cannot bring myself to do so again unless whoever the candidate is disavows herself/himself from this egregious mistake. Our president conducts a Rose Garden ceremony to welcome home a wartime deserter, whose conduct cost the lives of six of his fellow soldiers! National Security Advisor Susan Rice tells us this deserter served with "honor and distinction!" Our secretary of defense praises the action which gave our enemy, in their leader's opinion, a "great victory?" This outrage is further exacerbated by the release of five upper echelon terrorists the president and his advisors had previously determined to be too dangerous to be considered. What in the world were these people thinking?

Sure, it's great that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is no longer a prisoner, but he should, under no circumstances, be welcomed back as some kind of hero.

TOM EVANS, Hixson

Fox News is fair and balanced

Walter Benton's letter in the May 31 "Your Community/Your Voice" section saying, "Hate radio and Fox News are some of the most destructive entities ever unleashed on our country!" makes me wonder if he has ever watched Fox News.

He continued with, "With their hateful divisive lies, " and this requires me to ask him to list a few of these lies. Fox News tries to be, as they say, fair and balanced, and they try to get both sides of a story by inviting in people with different views.

Mr. Benton, have you watched Megyn Kelly's "The Kelly File" or "The O'Reilly Factor" with Bill O'Reilly?

They have invited James Carville, the Democratic strategist, who has signed on with Fox News as a contributor, and Alan Colmes, a liberal political commentator. This seems to me to be an attempt to be fair and balanced.

I would like to see a list of some of the hateful divisive lies to which you alluded.

G.P. TULLOSS, Cleveland, Tenn.

More 'Monty' cartoons

Without a doubt, the best cartoon in your paper is "Monty," located in the classified section. It probably makes more sense to say, "located in the classified section now and then." The Monty cartoon continues a story line every day. However, for some unknown reason, it's there one day and gone the next. That leaves your "Monty" followers up in the air. Lately, you have added a long series of cartoons in the classified section. Two words: stupid, terrible.

Please get Monty back on schedule every day.

TOM RANDALL, Calhoun, Ga.

Try this ice experiment

Recently a TFP article reported on a study that says that over the next 200 years ocean water will get warmer and melt all the Antarctic ice shelves, causing global sea levels to rise by 10 feet. Ocean water can only melt ice that is in the water, and even if all the floating antarctic ice melts, global sea levels will not change. Prove it for yourself. Put ice in a measuring cup. Add water until the ice is floating. Add more water until the water level reaches a convenient mark on the cup. (Any mark will do.) Let all the ice melt. Observe the water level. It didn't change, did it? And that is how much ocean levels will change if all the floating ice melts.

Conclusion: sea levels won't change at all from melting the ice that is already in the water. Cancel alarm. Exit.

Just for fun: Stick your finger in the water and see how warm it is. It got cold! How odd! Melting ice cools water!

Note: The ice that would raise sea levels if it melts is sitting on land and is out of the reach of sea water but is subject to hot air.

ERIC ASHBY

Thoughts on schools, and the Ad Council

Two little items need attention. First, when private schools run out of money, they cut back their staff and work harder. When government schools need money, they offer free college and roll the bill onto the backs of the taxpayer.

Secondly, Mr. Walter Benton's letter of May 31 decries the fact Rush Limbaugh is on the Armed Forces radio. What hypocrisy! Has he ever considered how many millions the taxpayer has to fork over to fund the Ad Council? This massive Goliath subsidizes media with their slick inducements for more government involvement. Federal bureaucracies, in cooperation with the Ad Council, field their wares, all on the back of the taxpayer. Would Mr. Benton like to compare prices!